Why Pray in the Church

A Call for Pastors to Pray for Their People
by Ryan Fullerton

Praying Together: An Invisible, Yet Vital Work
by Megan Hill

Corporate Prayer Is More Than Your Personal Quiet Time
by Zach Schlegel

The Holy Spirit, Prayer, and Preaching
by David Helm

What to Pray in the Church

Praying the “Big Four” Corporately
by John Onwuchekwa

Praying in Elders’ Meetings
by Greg Spraul

The Privilege and Power of a Praying Pastor’s Wife
by Erin Wheeler

Praying in Discipling Relationships Among Sisters
by Carrie Russell

Praying as a Church for the World and Your City
by Phil Ryken

How to Pray in the Church

Looking to the Past for Lessons About Prayer
by Thomas S. Kidd

Learning to Pray by Listening in Church
by Claudia Anderson

Pastor’s Forum: Stories of Answered Prayer
by various authors

4 Reasons You Should Add a Regular Prayer Service to Your Church Calendar
by Brad Wheeler

Looking to the New Testament for Models of Corporate Prayer
by Andy Davis

How to Keep Your Spontaneous Prayers from Sounding Aimless and Shallow
by Brian Davis

How to Keep Your Scripted Prayers from Sounding Stiff and Robotic
by Dave Comeau

Learning How to Pray Fervently from Benjamin Francis
by Michael Haykin

Audio

The Shocking, Abysmal, and Embarrassing Failure of Churches to Pray
with Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman

Editor’s Note:

Abraham prayed. Moses prayed. David prayed. The prophets prayed. The apostles prayed. Jesus himself prayed.

But do our churches pray when they gather together?

My own experience suggests, not much. There might be a few cursory upward glances through the course of a church service. But there are almost no studied, careful, extended times of prayer—little to no adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication. And that lack of praying, when you think about it, is embarrassing. Do we actually think we can change the leopard spots, or bring the dead to life? Anything a church does that will be eternally worthwhile must be done by the Lord, which is to say, through prayer.

Our primary hope for this Journal is that it would both encourage churches to pray more together and offer a few pointers on how. Start with Ryan Fullerton and Megan Hill’s pieces. They should make you want to read the rest!

Blessings,

Jonathan Leeman